You asked for it - you got it! The Avatar review that can only be done by ME! So, sit back, grab a coffee or an Energy Drink (you'll need it), and enjoy!
!!!!!!!AS PER USUAL - THIS IS FILLED WITH MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!!
Ahhhh...the illustrious Avatar.
Now you may be asking:
What is Avatar? What's all the hype about? Is it any good?
The only answer that could follow up these questions is...
HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK?! But, hey, that's OK. Not everybody has seen everything. I can respect that.
So, it with the clueless in mind that I present:
CORY'S AVATAR REVIEW
So, like any good sci-fi, we are in the future. 2154 to be specific. The RDA corporation has set up a base on a distant moon named Pandora. They have chosen this lush organic place for research of its plants, its people, and - oh yes - UNOBTANIUM! Now, as hard as that is to say with a straight face, Unobtanium is a rare mineral that is worth quite a bit to RDA. How much? How's $20 million per kilo sound? Yeah, I'd want some too.
So with a scientific team, lead by Grace Augustine (played by one of Cameron's original leading ladies Sigourney Weaver), and a group of others, they plan on sending in one of their own to research the rest of the planet. They have, of course, realized just how dangerous a human in a foreign place is, so they create the Avatar program. A program designed with the intention of placing a scientist's brain waves into the body of one of the local species called the Na'vi. By combined the DNA of a Na'vi with that of a human, they successfully clone one of these 10 foot tall beings and discover a way for the brain transfer to work. Did you ever watch Bruce Willis' Surrogates? Same theory, bigger creatures. The only catch is that each "Avatar" is genetically matched to each host, and when the lead scientist assigned to the Avatar program is killed they need to find a match.
So, they call upon Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), to fill the void of his twin brother. The DNA is incredibly comparable, the looks are perfect, and Jake even has military training under his belt. He's the perfect replacement! That is, of course, until they realize he has no training or even briefing on the program he is about to undertake. Of course, you have the skeptic scientist named Norm Spellman (played by Joel David Moore), who thinks it's a bad idea, and would rather do the program himself. He doesn't really like Jake, and doesn't think Jake can pull it off. Did I mention Jake's paraplegic, too? Yeah, serious dent in their research. No matter, the Avatar program involves brainwave transfer. Walking is overrated. So, after Grace puts her foot down (and much to Norm's disagreement), Jake is chosen to replace his brother in the program.
Jake is then lead to his "pod" where his brainwaves are digitally transferred to his assigned Avatar (kinda like a cordless phone). He wakes up, alive, full of energy...AND ABLE TO WALK! This is the greatest day of Jake's life! He decides to take his new body for a spin, while every doctor is trying to tell him to take it slow. However, within seconds, Jake has masters this whole making the Avatar do what he wants thing. So it's no surprise that he is then taken out with Grace and Norm (who also don a sparkling new Avatar body), to collect samples and discover all that Pandora has to offer.
Later, back at the base, Jake is approached by Security Head and Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and RDA's corporate admin head Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) about "infiltrating" the Na'vi and finding a way to get them to move out of "HomeTree", which is their home (go figure), as the largest deposit of Unobtanium is located just beneath it. In exchange, Quaritch guaranteed Jake surgery that will successfully give him his ability to walk back. Jake, of course, agrees.
We next see Jake (with Norm and Grace) frolicking in the woods and being awed by the plants around him when he gets the group attacked by a giant WTF (that's the name I've given it), split up from the group, and run off a cliff into a river below.
So Grace and Norm are certain Jake is toast and retreat back to the base. What they didn't realize is Jake is rescued from yet another beastly attack by Neytiri (the always sexy Zoe Saldana), who, even though she rescues him, wants him to go away. Jake, assuming she's playing hard-to-get just keep following her, begging to learn of the Na'vi way. Not entirely thrilled with the idea, she accepts anyway as she can see he is sincere enough.
Meanwhile, as he falls asleep that night, he wakes up back at the base. Chock full of new experiences to tell, he let's Grace know of what has happened. He then goes to Quaritch with his new found information. Grace, who had no idea of RDA's sinister agenda, decided to, with the help of a pilot named Trudy (Michelle Rodriguez), move a remote base with Avatar link up to another spot on Pandora. Jake, who in the last 3 months has been getting closer to the Na'vi tribe named the Omaticaya, and closer yet to Neytiri, has realized just how unique and special this world truly is. He has become one of them. He has even learned to fly his own Pterodactyl thingy (believe it or not, I do know the names of these creatures, but my names are so much more fun!). Jake then decides to completely reject his position with Colonel Quaritch. Quaritch, who (like most antagonists) doesn't take the news well, and locks up Jake, Grace, and Norm and plans on forgetting the diplomatic agenda. In a time like this - WAR is the only way to solve things. Just in case you weren't sure if RDA was American, that ought to clear things up, eh?
Luckily Trudy was never seen cooperating with them and was able to get into the prison ward and set them free. She even flies them back to their remote base so Jake can warn the Omaticaya of their impending danger. During the escape Grace is fatally shot in the stomach and is bleeding out fast. Jake zaps himself back into an Avatar and pleads with Neytiri. She is angry with Jake for not telling her the truth of why he came in the first place, and Tsu'tey (her brother, who never liked Jake in the first place) refuses to listen to a word he has to say. Jake begs them, if nothing else, to help Grace (who had even run a school on Pandorum, and knew many of the natives). They perform a ritual via the Tree of Souls to save her life. Alas, it was too late and we lose Sigourney Weaver *insert crying here*.
Angry with Quaritch (and for the freedom of his new found people) Jake gives the obligatory motivational speech that makes even the trees want to uproot and fight for him. He calls upon, not only the Omaticaya, but that of all other Na'vi tribes to stand up against RDA's oppression. "THIS IS OUR LAND!"
So, in a massive battle of epic proportions that sees Na'vi versus human, Pterodactyl thingys versus army aircraft, and we see many lives lost on both ends (yup, even more of our heroes)! However, one of the casualties is Jake. During one of the battles, Quaritch mans a giant walking robot thing (not to be confused with the one used in Aliens and the last Matrix movie) and begins to destroy the remote base where Jake is. Jake's connection is lost, and he is exposed to the Pandorum atmosphere (which is toxic to human without a breathing apparatus. Unable to reach an oxygen mask, as his wheelchair is also gone, Jake passes out. Neytiri, seeing the real Jake for the first time, rushes to his aid. To makes things worse, the Army succeeds in knocking over HomeTree in a trgic sight that can only be described as depressing as hell. *Insert other crying moment here*
Meanwhile, in the end, the good guys win (as they always do) and all remaining humans who were on the opposition are deported back to (where I can only assume is Earth). Jake, is taken to the Tree of Souls where through a similar ritual to that of Grace's (except more intense) is they are able to save Jake - but only by shedding him of his human body and having his mind permanently transferred to his Avatar counterpart. Jake and Neytiri, who are very much in love, live happily ever after. And we all have a warm feeling of fuzziness in our tummies! THE END!
You know, people say that without the visuals this movie is nothing. I DISAGREE! This could have been a freakin' sock puppet play and I would've loved it just the same! Yes, the 3D element in the theater was a nice touch. Even watching it on BluRay after was excellent. But all in all, new or used story (all you critics really need to let that go), this movie was beautiful. And I'm not sure I've ever used beautiful to describe a movie.
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